Method and apparatus for spraying thick liquids



METHOD AND APPARATUS FORSPRAYING THICK LIQUIDS;

Filed A ril 16, 1951 4 Shee -Sheet 1 x I In venior U A llorney No v. 21;1933. H; H W T 1,936,120

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPRAYING THICK LIQUIDS Filed April 16, 1931 4Sheets-Sheet 2 QByQM a s A llorney Nov. .21, 1933.

H. H.-SCHMIDT 71,936,120 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPRAYING THICK LIQUIDSFiled April is, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor Ebwmmdz:

A llomey Nov. 21, 1933'.- r H. @H. SCHMIDT 1,936,120 METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR SPRAYING THICK LIQUIDS Filed. April 16, 1931 4Sheets-sheaf. 4

I Invenior A tlorney Patented Now-21,1933

' ME'rnon AND,

1,936,126 APPARATUS son smrma THICK LIQUIDS Hermann H. Schmidt, Hanover,Kane assignor to Missouri Holding and Investment Company,

' St. Joseph, Mo.

' application April 16, 1931. Serial No; 530,669

90laims.

This invention relates generally to. a method, and to a means orapparatus for doing away with the preheating of thick liquids to renderthem in condition to be sprayed, and particularly to an apparatus forconditioning molasses and the like heavy thick fluids or powders soas topermit the spraying thereof in such operations as the treatment of feedsand the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide a 0 simple and inexpensiveand highly efiicient and reliable apparatus of the type describedwherein centrifugal force is applied to quantities of the molasses orother thick fluids or liquids or powdered materials, whereby to ejectthe. liquid or fluid or powder from a casing in which the centrifugalforce is acting upon the fluid or powder, for spraying the fluid orpowder therefrom for mixing with other substances.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a structure of thistype which is adapted to be generally associated with standard mixingdevices for feeds and the like, whereby to simplify the operation ofmixing the mentioned fluids or powders with the feed materials or thelike where.- by the operation is rendered more efflcient andexpeditious, and can be carried on more simply and at greatly lessexpense.

These and other objects .of the invention, its nature, and itscomposition and arrangement and combination, of parts and the processinvolved will be readily understood by anyone acquainted with the art towhich this invention relates upon consulting the following descriptionsand the drawings, in whichz- Figure 1 is a general side elevational viewof an application of my invention particularly useful in spraying-feedand the like with molasses.

Figure-2 is a top plan view of Figure-"1.,

Figure 3 is an end elevational view partly in cross section of thecentrifugal element of my apparatus.

Figure 4 isa side elevational view of one of the centrifugal elements.

Figure 5 is a sideelevational view 'of the cent5 trifugal agitatorelement.

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional-view through the main supply pipedisclosing the construction and disposition of a slide valve therein.

, Referring in detail to the drawings, the numer- 'al 5 designatesgenerally a trough of any suitable type in which and upon whose bottommoves a conveyor 6 supported at the ends of a horizontal frame 7 bymeans of rollers 8 and 9. The roller 8 is idle and the roller 19 isdriven by means ofa 5 drive sprocket chain 10 in turn connected with arelationship, so as to coordinate mixer 11 supported at the same end ofthe frame 7. V

The frame 7 is supported on a braced tripod structuregenerallydesignated 12, by means of brackets 13 attached to the legs 14of theframe 50 structure 12. At theapex of each side member of thestructure 12 and iournaled transversely across and vertically spacedfrom the trough 5 is a shaft 15 having a sprocket chain operative conection with a large sprocket "wheel 17 rotatably supported on a shaftwhich is journaled across the structure 12 below the trough 5 and belowthe lower flight of. the conveyor 6. The sprocket wheel '17 is driven bymeans of an associated sprocket wheel 18 which is smaller than thesprocket wheel 17, the sprocket wheel 18 having a sprocket chainoperative connection 19 with another sprocket wheel 20 which is mountedinwardly of the sprocket 21 on a shaft 22 journaled transversely of thee d of the frame inwardly of the mixer 11, w th which the sprocket wheel21 is operatively connected as stated, by the sprocket chain connection10.

The relative size and relation of the sprocket .wheels is so adjusted asto rotate the various shafts at predetermined speeds in a definite themovements of the mixer 11, the speed 'of the conveyor 6 and the speed ofthe centrifugal elements to be described.

Supported'within the side members of the structure 12 onthe shaft 15,but not rotatable therewith; is a pair of centrifugal element cas ingsgenerally designated 23. These consist ofshallow circular casingsmounted centrally onthe shaft 15 by means of bearing sleeves 24 andpacking glands 25. The circular casings are com-- posed of convexeddisks 26 and 27, the convex disk 27 having an inturned flange 28 to theinside of'which the edge of the disk 26 is secured by means of rivets orbolts or the like as indicated at 29. Angularly disposed above thesleeves24 and angularly directed upwardly on opposite sides of thecasing 23 is an oppositely disposed nipple 30 communicating as closelyas possible to the centers of the casings. A pair of pipes 31 of generalU-shaped form having the lowerle'gs thereof angularly deflected from thevertical as indicated at 32, connects said angularly disposed legportions with the nipples to, and the horizontal portions 33 of thepipes 31 are connected at opposite ends of a T-fltting 34 which has itsvertical nipple 35 communicated with a valved supply pipe 36 having thehand operated slide valve structure 3'7. The molasses or' other heavyIEO fluid or powder is supplied through the pipe 36 and the ingressthereof to the centrifugal elements is controlled by the slide valvestructure 37, the said ingress causing fluid or powder to be equally andevenly projected into the casings 23 as closely as possible to thecenter thereof.

Within each casing 23 and secured to rotate with the shaft 15 are hubs38 carrying the blades 39. As observed in Figures 3 and 5, the bladesare equally circumferentially spaced and have a clearance as indicatedat 40 with the casing 23, the outward edges of the blade 39 being curvedto conform with the convex contour of the dislzs of which the saidcasings are formed. Every other blade is disposed on an opposite side ofa plane through the center of the hub as shown in Figure 3. It isnecessary to rotate the shaft 15 and consequently the blades 39 at ahigh rate of speed, and coordinated with the movement of the conveyorand other elements of the device.

It is particularly to be observed in Figure 4 that the disk 27 of thecasing 23 is downwardly and tangentially offset as at 41 to provide apocket or recess for backing up the fluid or powder as it iscentrifugally hurled against the periphery of the casings under theinfluence of the rotary agitator blades 39. The physical phenomenaresulting from the action of the agitator and the formation at 41 aretaken advantage oi to the extent that the heavy liquid or. powder willbe thereby sprayed through holes 42 arranged peripherally on each sideof the lower edge of the disk 2'7 and the flange 28 thereof, on eachside of a slot 43, The impelled liquid or powder is forced through theholes 42 and through the.

slot 43 at high velocity, whereby the humid or powder is disintegratedinto streams and sprays ciently broken up to enable the efficient mixingand spraying of the material with such as feeds which are passed underthe centrifugal elements on the conveyor 6. It is also my intention toinclude in invention a screw type or other type conveyor instead oi' thetype illustrated in the drawings, the treat-,

ment of the material being in either case equally facilitated. Aplurality of the centrifugal ele--' ments, and a plurality of conveyorsmay be provided in'batteries to any practical limit in numbers. Inaddition, any suitable loading or conveyor structure or system may beassociated with the device of my invention whereby to facilitate thedelivery of materialto the device, and the device itself may be power ormanually operated, the molasses or other thick liquid or powder suppliedto the centrifugal elements by gravity or by means of a pump system.

A suggested ratio of speed for the different elements of my inventioncalls for a speed of the drum 11 of four times faster than the relativetravel of the conveyor, and a practical speed of rotation 01' thecentrifugal elements approximates i880 revolutions perminute, this speedof the centrifugal elements havin proved in one form of the invention apracticalspeed for obtaining a desired spraying eflect.

As already stated, the principal object of my invention is to provide acold, that is, a nonheated means and method whereby. heavy viscousliquids such as molasses and/or powders may be conditioned so that; itis possible to spray them as efllciently as lighter liquids, and mixsuch heavy liquids with other materials in spray form, and the aboveillustration of one form of my invention is set out only to givepractical form to the presentation of my invention and to properlydisclose the same. For instance, the form of the centrifugal impellerrotor and its blades might be varied in different ways, as might thecasings 23 and the precise arrangement of the fluid supply thereto. Inthe form shown, the direction of rotation of the rotor or impellerblades is in the direction of the arrows in Figure 5, the blades 39being arranged tangentially with respect to the hubs 38. s

It is to be definitely understood that I no not g5 desire to limit theapplication of this invention to the'particular modification set outherein to illustrate the principles thereof, and any change or changesmay be made in material, arrange ment and combination of partsconsistent with the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

i. A mixer and a sprayer device for heavy viscous fluids and powders asdescribed comprising a circular casing having at its lower edge atangentially offset perforated portion constituting a spray head adaptedto be positioned adjacent the material to be sprayed, a bladed rotor inthe easing, and angularly disposed inlets on each side of said casingfor conveying the heavy viscous fluid and/or powder to the central pointof the casing, and branches on a supply pipe connected to said inlets,and means for rotating said rotor to impart rotary motion to thematerial in the casing for projecting the material into said offsetspray head and ejecting-it through the perforations thereof.

2. A mixer and sprayer device for heavy viscous fluids and powders asdescribed comprising a circular casing having at its lower edge atangentially offset perforated portion constituting a spray head adaptedto be positioned adjacent the material to be sprayed, a bladed rotor inthe easing, and angularly disposed inlets on each side of said casingfor conveying the heavy viscous fluid 5 and/or powder to the centralpoint of the casing, and branches of a supply pipe connected to saidinlets, and means for rotating said rotor to im partrotary motion to thematerial in the casing for projecting it into said oflset spray head and2g ejecting it through the perforations thereof, and coordinated meansfor moving a quantity of material to be sprayed into position under saidspray head.

3. A centrifugal mixer and sprayer for heavy viscous fluids and powdersof the type described comprising in combination, a trough, a conveyor inthe trough, a frame for the trough and the conveyor, a vertical supportfor the frame and a centrifugal mixing and spraying device disposed 1over the conveyor for spraying material carried by the conveyor.

4. A centrifugal mixer and sprayer for heavy viscous fluids and powdersof the type described comprising, in combination, a trough, a conveyor1135 in the trough, a frame for the trough and the conveyor, avertical'support for the frame, a centrifugal mixing and spraying devicedisposed over the conveyor for the material carriedby the conveyor, saidmixing and spraying device com- 1 d prising a circular casing having itslower portion offset tangentially and provided at each side with sprayholes and centrally with a spray slot, centrally disposed fluid andpowder inlets in each side of the casing connected to a pipe supp and arotor in said casing having tangentially arranged staggered blades.

in the trough, a frame for the trough and the conveyor, a verticalsupport for the frame and a centrifugal mixing and spraying devicedisposed over the conveyor for spraying material carried by theconveyor, said mixing and spraying device comprising a circular casinghaving its lower portion offset tangentially and provided at each sidewith spray holes and centrally with a spray slot, centrally disposedinlets on each side of the casing connected to a supply pipe, and arotor in said casing having tangentially arranged staggered blades, saidcasing having convex concave sides, and said blades having their outwardedges curved to conform with the concave contour of the inward face ofthe sides of the casing.

6. A device for and reducing-the viscosity of heavy ordinarilyunsprayable viscous fluids and spraying the same, comprising a casing,heavy fluid inlet means for conveying heavy viscous fluid into a centralportion of the casing, supply means for the inletmeans, bladed rotormeans in the casing for whirling the heavy viscous fluids forimpartingcentrifuga-l force there-. to and for decreasing the viscositythereof, offset spray means on the lower part of the casing which may belocated adjacent the material upon which the fluid is to be sprayed,said spray means being provided with small openings through which themixed fluid of reduced viscosity is sprayed by reason of its centrifugalforce. I

7. A device for mixing and spraying heavy viscous fluids and powderswithout the use of heat comprising a casing, rotary means within thecasing for breaking up and imparting greater fluidity to the heavyviscous fluids and powders by converting them into the: form of mist andspray and imparting centrifugal force thereto,

common inlet means for said fluids and powders,

control means for controlling the amount of fluids and powdersintroduced into the casing, common outlet means for releasing the mistand spray from the casing upon the material to be sprayed.

8; A device for mixing and spraying heavy viscous fluids and powderswithout the use of heat comprising a casing, rotary means within thecasing for breaking up and imparting greater fluidity to the heavyviscous fluids and powders by converting them into the form of mist andspray and imparting centrifugalforce thereto, common inlet means forsaid fluids and pow- -ders, control means for controlling the amount offluids and powders introduced into the casing, common outlet means forreleasing the mist and spray from the casing upon the material to besprayed, an enclosedauger conveyor means for carrying the material intoposition to be sprayed, means for reducing lumps in the sprayed materialand for discharging the reduced sprayed material, common power means forsynchronously operating the rotary means, auger conveyor means, andreducing and discharging means, unitary frame means supporting all ofthe same in coacting, cooperative relationship.

9; Means for mixing and increasing the fluidity of and spraying mixturesof heavy viscous fluids and powders without the use of heat comprising acasing, fluid and powder inlet means on the casing, rotary means in thecasing for mixing and reducing the fluids and powders to. the form ofmist and spray and imparting centrifugal force thereto, and commonoutlet means on the casing for discharging the mist and spray uponmaterial to be sprayed.

HERMANN H. SCHMIDT.

for assembling and 100

